Democracy Not Found, Please reinstall Constitution

Get ready to scream into a $20 bill, because this episode isone wild, whiskey-soaked ride through the chaos that was Andrew Jackson’s presidency.

Our hosts Kyle and Eric break down the hot mess expressof Jacksonian democracy—starting with a literal mob trashing the White House and ending with an economic meltdown that somehow wasn’t even the worst thinghe did. (Trail of Tears, anyone?)

We’re spilling all the historically certified tea:

• The White House party that ended in broken china and thrown whiskey
• The Spoils System (aka Jackson hiring his buddies because… vibes?)
• The Maysville Road veto and his extremely petty beef with Henry Clay
• Nullification, drama with South Carolina, and the Force Bill showdown
• The Indian Removal Act, which absolutely deserves the rage it gets
• How Jackson personally tanked the economy and still walked away smug
• And the kicker: how his policies laid the foundation for the Civil War

Plus, we absolutely talk about that time Jackson beatan attempted assassin with his cane like he was starring in an 1830s action film. Don’t worry—Eric brought his economist hat, and Kyle’s here to stop the man from combusting on mic.

🎥 Want more context onthe complicated history of race, reason, and rage?
Watch our Benjamin Banneker episode (Thomas Jefferson Pt V), referenced in this chaos:https://open.spotify.com/episode/7qG3nWkHKSJ6OUqPPBNNH4?si=hZ5wWh1sSWSfkANj8Y3rCw

👀 Don’t miss a single presidential meltdown.
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💌Have a take or just want to yell “WHAT WAS THAT?!” at us directly? Email us: buckstartsherepodcast@gmail.com

Because if you thought history class was boring, that’sbecause they didn’t tell you Jackson almost started a war with France over unpaid shipping receipts.

Music:

Semper Fidelis by Heftone Banjo Orchestra, Free MusicArchive, license CC-BY-SA

Images:

Democratic Jackass: Thomas Nast, Public domain, viaWikimedia Commons

Jackson inauguration: Made by Robert Cruickshank as anillustration in the The Playfair papers, published in London by Saunders and Otley in 1841, v. 2., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

John Eaton: John Eaton and Ethel Osgood Mason, authors.Longmans, Green, and Co. (New York, NY), publisher., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Martin Van Buren: Mathew Benjamin Brady, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

John C Calhoun: George Peter Alexander Healy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Henry Clay: Matthew Harris Jouett, Public domain, viaWikimedia Commons

Maysville Road: https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwriizSOk4to0ighb2ajzbkF;_ylu=c2VjA2ZwLWF0dHJpYgRzbGsDcnVybA--/RV=2/RE=1754006542/RO=11/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.slideserve.com%2fshubha%2fthe-growth-of-democracy/RK=2/RS=rI0dKs2Jz9QB0b9zsA3rqEczIzI-

Peggy Eaton affair: Hoffay, A. A.; Robinson, Henry R.,-1850.Albert. A. Hoffay, published by Henry R. Robinson, 1833, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Floride Calhoun: See page for author, Public domain, viaWikimedia Commons

Peggy Eaton: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/128353,Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

John Marshall: Henry Inman, Public domain, via WikimediaCommons

Failed Assassination of Jackson: N/A, Public domain, viaWikimedia Commons

Chief Black Hawk: Charles Bird King, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons